“Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  2 Chronicles 1:10

RISE is a teen leadership program serving 7th, 8th and 9th grade students in the City of Chester.RISE develops leadership through fostering personal Responsibility and Integrity, providing opportunities for Service, and instilling an expectation of Excellence in its participants; of themselves and of their community.

RISE expects its participants to become high-achieving individuals, positive influencers in their peer groups, and righteous leaders in their schools and neighborhoods as they model personal Responsibility, Integrity & Excellence, and also demonstrate leadership through acts of Service in their community.

RISE is designed to build vital skills that will help the participants RISE to their potential and understand their purpose in life.  It is a year-round program with workshops, weekly meetings, service projects, weekend retreats, field trips, and a week-long residential camp experience.  It is designed to be both developmentally and culturally appropriate and was created with the psychological concepts of self-efficacy and positivity in mind.

The first class of RISE (RISE 14) who began the program in 2014, have completed their first two years, including the over-arching topics of “My Voice” and “My Niche”. These students are current Chester 9th graders.

We are always looking for volunteer small group leaders for our weekly meetings that meet at Chester Charter School for the Arts from September through May on Thursdays from 5-7pm. If you are interested in applying to become a Small Group Leader, please email Heather Smith at Heather@AndrewLHicksJrFoundation.org.

Please click on the activity below to get a better understanding of the events that the RISE Veterans have experienced.

RISE Summit  2/1/2014
RISE and Warrior Guides Chester Waterfront Clean Up  3/22/14
RISE Ice Cream Social  4/12/14
RISE Retreat  5/2/14 – 5/4/14
RISE Camp 2014
RISE Veterans – Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 Meetings
Warrior Guides/RISE Community Service Day 4/11/15
RISE Camp 2015